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Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Hive 3 January Tutorial - Quarter Log

Let’s start with a quick and easy block…...a Quarter Log
Cabin.This block lends itself to all
cans of interesting layouts that give a new look to a traditional block.

Fabric Choices.

I regard myself as a scrappy quilter so there
are no colors that I reject.What I want
you to use are possibly something from your latest project, or something
“wacky” you have been daring yourself to try.

You will need a 5” square in something bright and
cheery.Possibly a fussy cut, but not
required.It might be a random square
that sparks your quilting inspiration.Use
this square to influence your choice of colored strips.

Then you need a 1 ½” strip of a low volume fabric.Again, any range of low volume fabric you
have available from your current sewing space, or buried in your stash you
don’t think you will ever use.What I
want is contrast with this strip from the big block and the next strips.Preferably,
lean more to the white/ cream/ gray/ivory spectrum.

For the next portion, you will need three different 2” strips of solids, prints, prints that read
as solids, or whatever is laying on your sewing table.The longest length of strip is 19.5” inches,
so across the width of a fat quarter is perfect.I’m not crazy about matching, I’d rather
have contrast.If you want to add even
more fabric combinations, you could use varying fabric for each side of the
quarter log.That’s totally up to
you.In that case, choose fabrics that
read from the same color family.

My first stash bee, I think I took a day or two to determine
the fabric, because the Queen wanted specific colors.My stash has grown since then, but I don’t
want you to stress over color choices.I
am totally happy with what you have and what colors make youhappy.

Cutting Directions:

Note the Hot Pink is actually music fabric !!!

A.5”
square from something Bright and Happy

B.From a 1.5 ”strip of Low Volume, Neutral or light solidcut a 5” and a 6” strip

C.From three happy colors cut each 2” strip into
rectangles like this:

Color 1……. one 6" and one 7.5” piece (total strip length…13.5)

Color 2……. one 7.5" and one 9” piece (total strip length 16.5)

Color 3……one 9" and one 10.5" piece (total strip length 19.5)

Timer after cutting. I had to change fabrics, because what I thought was a 2-inch strip was 1 and 3/4.

Sewing Directions:

First strip on the top of the 5 inch block. Gold Washi tape acting as a seam guide with my bonus triangle leader ender.

Round One: On the top of the square place the shortest
1.5” strip. Always keep the big block to
the lower right corner. Press toward the
strip, then add the other strip on the left side. Press away from the square toward the
strip.

Round Two, Three and Four:

Add the shortest strip first on the top and the longest strip to the
left.Press after each strip away from
the center square.Block finishes at
10.5 inches.

This is to demonstrate Round 2, 3 and 4 made with multiple fabrics per round. Ignore everything else, it's the wrong size and orientation and was one of the trial blocks.

Finishing:Give the
block a good press, trim threads, and post a picture on Instagram using #stashbeehive3

Then, mail the block to me.
I’ll send my shipping address to you via email or it’s on the dropbox
file with everyone’s addresses. This is my personal favorite way to ship a block: inside a large greeting card. The card protects the block and it’s easy to
mail.

This is a great project to use leaders and enders from a
project you are working on.Between
every strip and before you take it to the iron, don’t cut your threads until
you’ve inserted a portion of your own project.It’s just an efficient use of time.You could make a string block if you wanted to or even a different
quarter block for you to send or keep or make a set of half square triangles,
whatever you need for your own project.

Also, let me know what kind of fabric you collect.I collect music fabric and I love to use it in all my projects, not just
those that are specific to music projects.It’s fun to walk into a new quilt store and say “I collect music fabric,
do you have any?”I normally find
something I don’t have or am out of, or that will go home with me.

There are prizes for Hive 3 quilters.

The first block I receive gets a small prize,

any block that uses music fabric, gets a prize and

most unusual color
combination gets a prize.

These are not
big prizes, so don’t go to extremes, but I’ll reward those that
participate.